


Tracking Lesson

by Ricksbowlegs



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Daryl worries about Rick, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Protective Daryl, Rick is hopeless in the woods, Rickyl Writers' Group, Rickyl Writers' Group Mid-Season 06 Premiere Mini-Challenge, prison era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 14:52:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6012460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ricksbowlegs/pseuds/Ricksbowlegs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daryl teaches Rick how to track...Or tries.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tracking Lesson

**Author's Note:**

> Fic for the Rickyl Writer's Group mini challenge. 500 words of Fluff! ...Well...it's fluffy to me. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Unbeta'd: All mistakes are mine. Disclaimer: Not my characters.

Daryl strutted through the forest floor as they followed an opossum tracks; feet steady and crossbow ready. He stopped and turned around suddenly, making Rick collide against him. He nudged the younger man with his shoulder and signaled down at a spot on the floor with his crossbow.

“See down there? The little bastard stopped t’take a piss,” he said and looked back at Rick. The leader looked at him in confusion then down at the floor were the hunter was signaling, a dumbfound expression on his face as he nodded. Daryl frowned and pulled his crossbow up to rest on his shoulder. “Ya don’ see shit, d’ya?”

“I see…” Rick hesitated then looked at him helplessly, “marks…?”

Daryl snorted. “Yer hopeless. Come, I see something over there,” he said and pointed ahead. Rick squinted.

After ten minutes of more walking, Daryl stopped and turned toward the younger man. “Look down there. What d’ya think those tracks belong to?”

“Um…” Rick looked at him questioningly, then down at the tousled dirt path underneath. “A…walker?”

“Ya sure?” Daryl asked, looking at Rick intently. 

The younger man straightened and nodded. “I’m sure.”

Daryl stared at him in silence. “Yer hopeless, Grimes.”

“Well, what is it, then?”

“It’s our tracks, yours t’be precise. It’s where ya tripped over that root.” He pointed at the tiny root sticking out of the ground. “Made ya walk in a circle and ya didn’ even notice. Da hell, Grimes, are ya even paying attention?”

Rick sighed and rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hands. “I don’t see anything, Daryl. Can’t we just go back?”

“Ya gotta concentrate, Rick. What if somethin’ happened t’me and ya winded up alone in these woods. What then?”

“Don’ even say that,” Rick huffed. 

“How’d ya survive? How’d ya feed yer children?”

“Hey, I know how to set traps…”

“Yeah, I know. I taught ya that, but that ain’t nearly enough to survive. Ya’d get lost in the woods and get yourself surrounded by walkers…or trip on a root and knock yerself unconscious.”

“I’m not completely helpless,” Rick argued.

“Alright, show me how to get back to the prison then. Lead the way.”

“From here?”

“Yeah, from here, or ya want me t'walk ya to the main road so ya can give me directions from there?”

“Alright, you’ve made your point, Daryl. What do you want from me? All I see is leaves and dirt,” Rick sighed. 

Daryl eyed the troubled younger man warmly and walked over to him to wrap his arm around the lean form, bringing him closer. “I love ya, Rick, but ya can’t track fer shit,” he said and kissed the plump lips. Rick opened up and melted against the archer, wrapping his arms around Daryl’s broad shoulders.

“Hey, I blame the teacher,” Rick said, breaking the kiss and playfully squirming out of his hold and started walking in the wrong direction. Daryl shook his head and sighed, smiling at his cute, hopeless boyfriend.


End file.
